Part of the townsite is a flood plain and attracts plants that like wet ground such as balsam poplar and horsetail.

In late July and August, these lovely wild rose blossoms will have become “hips”, the rose fruit that is particularly high in Vitamin C.

Before the Forty Mile gold rush, the site was probably covered by a combination of white and black spruce until the miners logged most of the trees for building logs and firewood. The north tip of Forty Mile Island has lush meadows sparsely treed with cottonwood. The site includes herbaceous species such as fireweed, yarrow, asters, high bush cranberries, with many wild rose bushes. Moving further from the river, there are stands of white spruce. Black spruce trees grow in wetter areas. Close to the river are plant species that thrive with “wet feet” such as willow, alder, cottonwood and horsetail.